Panel-board receptacle.



Patented Feb. 2

R m M N m 5 W A 5 A] n d 2 2 v nwm WITNESSES /arenae 0 Butt CLARENCE D.PLATE, 0]? BBIDGEPORT, GONNEGTIGUT.

PANEL-BOARD nizcnrractn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

Application mainly as, 1913. Serial he. raises.

To all 1071 am it may concern.

Be it known that I, CLAI'mNcE D. PLATT, a

The invention, as indicated by its title, re-

lates' to receptacles or sockets, particularly adapted for panel-boardsor switch-boards. It is an electrical appliance for retaining a contactdevice which may be of various types as, for instance, a fuse plug, lampbase or other device for forming an electrical bridge betweenconductors.

'1 he object of the invention is to provide a receptacle having aninsulating shell with a pair of crntact members arranged therein andapplicable thereto and providing a suitable barrier or insulating wallintermediate the fixed conductors of the panel board to which it isapplied.

A further object is to provide a receptacle having an insulating shellwith a pair of contact members arranged therein and with conductingparts connecting the contact members with the main fixed conductors, allof the parts arranged so that they may be applied and assembled from oneside of the panel-board 'or base.

It is also an object to provide a device of the character describedwhich'will be simple in form and which will overcome obiections ofassembly heretofore found in devices of this character, always givingconstant distances between the contactmembers and conductors and betweenthe contact members and contacts of the applied fuseplugs, lamp basesand the like, with features of interlocking of the parts which willprovide an extremely substantial and stable structure.

Referring to the drawings Figure l'is a front face View or planof a baseof insulating material or panel-boardshowing several of the receptaclesin place; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through one of thereceptacles. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the various parts of thereceptacle in unassembled position, said parts occupying their relativeposition ready for assembly. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the insulatingcup of the receptacle. Fig. 5 is a central vertical section of the cupshown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the cup shown in Fig.4.

It has been common practice in the art to employ receptacles upon basesof insulating material such as switch-boards,panel-boards and the like.It has also been common practice to employ receptacles embodying aninsulating shell with a central stud contact and a coia'pe'ratingscrew-threaded shell contact, said parts being mounted in a cup or shellof insulating material and adapted to be applied to the face of apanel-board or switch-board. Usually such devices have been applied aseomplete units, although in some instances, they have been assembled onthe face of the board. In the latter case,

assembling them upon the board has involved interlocking the partsbetween the insulating cup or shell and one of the contact members as,for instance, the threaded sleeve contact.

Whether app-lied as fixed units with means for securing-them to thepanel-board or assembled upon the face of the board, it has beennecessary to employ insulating washers to separate the contacts of thereceptacle. The use of separable insulating washers has involveddifliculties in assembly by requiring a greater number of parts for thedevice and through variations in the sizes of the arts, seriousdifficulty has been experienced in securing fixed distances between thecontact members of the receptacle. This is all important as they mustregister and contact with the contact members of the plugsor switchbases used therewith. Diiiiculty has also been experienced in securing aproper barrier between the main fixed conductors which lead into such areceptacle where the receptacles are of a small enough form to present aneat and compact appearance.

In the device herein described. the various objections noted have beencompletely overcome. The contact members are firmly and securely lockedin place within the shell or receptacle of insulating material and thelocking of said parts simultaneously secures and binds the receptacle inplace upon the panel-board or base. There are no insulating washers of aremovable type; the entire insulation for the contacts of the receptaclebeing efi'ected through the form of the insulating shell. Distancesbetween contacts are permanently fixed for all times when the parts aremanufactured and no adjustments are required to correct 'inaccuracles,such as are found in the ordinary type of receptacle. The device may becompletely as 'sembled upon or removed from the face of the board orpanel. The parts are of a sim-. ple form and interlocking character sothat they may be shipped in knock-downv form and may be readily appliedto a panelboard or switch-board when the same 1s set up. This knock-downfeature, particularly in shipping, insures safety to the more or lessfragile insulating portions of the receptacle and facilitates closepacking and safe shipping of the entire panel-board structure.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 I denotes an insulating base orpanel-board of ordinary type which has applied to it, as illustrated,main line conductors 2, 3, and branch conductors 4, 5, connectedrespectively with the mains 2, 3. The circuit of the branches 4 and 5 iscontinued through the receptacles 6, 7, 8 and 9, when the contacts ofsaid receptacles are bridged as by the fuse-plug, not specificallyillustrated herein or by any form of plug which makes contact with thecontact members of the receptacle for the purpose of electricallycontra-ted herein as a fuse receptacle for the branch conductors of thepanel-board.

The receptacle comprises a shell 13 of insulating material, preferablyporcelain,

having a central stud contact 14 and a threaded sleeve contact 15.Within the threaded sleeve may be screwed a plug having a centralcontact and a cooperating sleevecontact. The insulating shell 13, asillustrated, is of cylindrical form and has a cylindrical opening 16. ofa sufiicient depth to receive the threaded sleeve contact 15 which restsupon the bottom 17 of the opening 16. Extending upward from the bottom17 is an insulating boss 18, said boss having its center slightly out ofcenter with the cy-' lindrical opening 16. The lower side of theinsulator 13 is recessed as at 19, 20, to receive-the ends of theconductors 4, 4

These recesses are so formed extending in from opposite sides of theinsulator 13 that a barrier 21 is provided intermediate their adjacentends. An opening 22 is formed from the under side of the receptacle upthrough the bottom 17 and cuts into the side wall of the cylindricalopening 16 to This p form a locking shoulder 23. To secure the threadedsleeve contact 15 firmly within the cylindrical opening 16 at the bottomof said opening 17, a ring-like plate 24 is employed.

ate has a perforation 25 slightly eccentric to its center so that itsouter periphery 26 will fit snugly within the threaded sleeve contactand against the bottom 27 thereof with the perforation 25 surroundingthe raised boss 18.. The plate 24 has a lug 28 adapted to pass throughaf p'er'foraa tion 29 of the threaded sleeve contact. 15.

The plate 24 is also provided with a perforation 30 registering with aperforation 31 of the threaded sleeve contact and a conducting screw 32is passed through the perforations 30, 31, and engages" thefbranchconductor 4. This screw 32 serves asa conductor between conductor 4 andthe threaded sleeve contact and. binds the receptacle against the board.The tongue 28 resting under the shoulder 23 positively holds thethreaded sleeve contact 15 againsttilting movement within the insulatingcup 13.

The central stud contact 14 passes through a central perforation 33 inthe recessed boss 18 and base of theinsulator 13. This screw engages theconductor 4 and is completely insulated from the threaded sleeve contactand appurtenant parts.

The receptacle as a'whole is firmly bound and locked to the sections ofthe conductors 4, 4 and the threaded sleeve is firmly locked within theinsulating section of the receptacle. lVith the parts arranged asillustrated, there is no lack of insulating barrier between theadjacentjnds of the conductors 4, 4

It is apparent that it would be quite impossible to properly arrange theparts if the boss 18 were at the center of the structure as there wouldnot be a sufiicient insulating barrier betweenthe ends ofthe conductors4, 4. It has, therefore, been common practice' heretofore to arrangepart of the con nections from the rear of the board. The eccentricposition of the boss 18, with the central contact 14 raised thereon andof a sufficient size to project over the actual'center of thereceptacle, no difliculty is experienced in securing registration andproper contact between the threaded sleeve and central contact'15, 14and the cooperating contact members of the plug. The insulatingreceptacle 13 is first placed "in position with itsv recesses 19, 20,registering with the conductors 4, 4, the latter being secured upon thebase or panel board 1. The'threaded sleeve contact shell.15 is theninserted in the opening 16. Thering-like plate 24 is then dropped intothe threaded sleeve contact with its projection; 28 passing through theperforation 29of the shell and underlying the shoulder '23. lnrthis.

position, the perforation 30is brought into registration with theperforation 31 of the shell and with the opening through the base. Thescrew 32 is then inserted and engaged with the conductor 4 locking allof the parts firmly together and making the electrical connectionbetween the conductor 4 and the shell 15.

In Figs. 4:, 5 and 6, the main center of the receptacle and the threadedsleeve contact is shown ,on dotted line C-C and the actual center of thecentral stud contact 14 is indicated by the dotted line SS. It will beobserved .that the head of the screw 14 projects across the center-lineC G and gives ample contact for the cooperating center contact of theplug.- The raised msulating boss 18 is shown herein as formed integralwith the insulating shell 13 wh1ch IS the preferred form though thelnvention contemplates a raised insulated stud contact eccentricallyarranged with reference to the center of the receptacle which gives thenecessary barrier between the conductors of the panel-board. Asillustrated in the drawings, the opening 22 is so formed that it opensdirectly through the base-wall 17 into the cylindrical opening 16 and isof sufficient length and size to cut into the 1n ner wall of saidopening so that the distinct shoulder 23 is arranged at just the properheight to engage the upper face of the extension 28 of the bindi ngplate 24. It Wlll also be noted that the receptacle is so formed at itsbase that it may be applied to the ordinary type of flat conductor usedupon the face of panel-boards and when in place is held against relativerotation by said parts as well as by the double hold of the two screws14 and 32, said screws firmly bind- "ing the receptacle to therespective conductors and to the face of the panel-board.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A panel board receptacle comprising an insulator having a base, acylindrical side wall surrounding a central opening, in,

insulator and engaging with a conductor.

2. A panel board receptacle comprising an insulator having a base and acylindrical side wall surrounding a central opening, in which wall isformed a recess, and a boss rising from the base, a threaded sleevecontact seated in the said opening and provided with a perforation forthe boss, and an opening for a locking lug, a perforated plate having alug extending through the opening of the sleeve and into the said reeessin the side wall of the insulator and resting upon the threaded sleevecontact, a conducting screw engaging the said perforated'plate and aconductor, whereby the receptacle and contained parts are looked uponsaid conductor, and a stud contact extending through the boss andengaging with another conductor.

3. An insulator for a panel board receptacle consisting of a shellhaving a base and a cylindrical side wall rising therefrom andsurrounding a central opening, the outside of the base being providedwith recesses to receive conductors separated by an insulating barrier,an eccentrically disposed insulating boss rising from the base withinthe central opening of the insulator, the boss being perforated andlocated over one of the conductor recesses, the base being alsoperforated to form a communication between the central opening of theinsulator and the other conductor recess, and there being formed in theside wall of the insulator a locking shoulder arranged diametricallyopposite the last aforesaid perforation.

4. A panel board receptacle comprising an insulator having at its bottomsubstantially diametrically opposed recesses adapted to fit overconductors, an intermediate wall of insulating material between saidconductors, a concentric cylindrical opening arranged in the upper sideof said insulator, and a shoulder arranged in the wall of saidcylindrical opening, a threaded sleeve contact concentrically arrangedin said opening and having an opening in the wall thereof, a platefitting within said threaded sleeve and having a locking lug extendingthrough the said opening in the sleeve and projecting under the shoulderof the insulator, a binding screw passing through said plate andthreaded sleeve contact and engaging one of the conductors,

and av stud contact extending within the threaded sleeve contact andinsulated therefrom and connected with a cooperating conductor, saidstud being arranged at one side of the center of the threaded sleeveContact and receptacle.

. 5. A panel board receptacle comprising an insulator having a base anda central opening, an eccentric boss extending from said base, athreaded sleeve contact having a perforation encircling said boss and anopening in its side for a locking lug, a locking shoulder formed at oneside of the central opening of the insulator, a clamping ring having aneccentric opening fitting the boss of the base and provided with a lugprojecting through the said openingin the sleeve and under the shoulderof the insulator, a clamping screw engaging said ring and one conductorand a contact member extending through the boss and engaging a secondconductor.

6. A panel board receptacle comprising w an insulator having a base anda central opening, and an eccentric insulating boss projecting upwardfrom thebase, a threaded sleeve contact having an eccentric perforationfitting said boss and an opening for a locking lug, a locking shoulderarranged in the side Wall of the insulator, a locking ring resting uponthe threaded sleeve contact and having a lug extending through the saidopening in the sleeve contact and engaging the shoulder of theinsulator, a binding screw passing through said locking ring andengaging a conductor and a stud contact extending through the said bossand engaging With another conductor.

7. A panel board receptacle comprising an insulating shell having a baseand a central opening, a threaded sleeve contact seated in said openingupon the base andprovided with an opening in its side for a looking lug,a recess in the side Wall of the central opening forming a lockingshoulder adjacent to the bottom of the threaded sleeve, a locking ringseated Within the sleeve and having a lug projecting through the openingin the threaded sleeve and under the locking shoulder, a binding screwfor locking the ring upon thesleeve and a stud contact insulated fromthe sleeve con-' tact.

8. A panel board receptacle comprising an insulat ng shell having-a baseand a central opening, a threaded sleeve contact seated in said openingupon the base andprovided with an opening for a locking lug through itsside, a recess in the side wall of the central opening forming a lockingshoulder adjacent to the bottom of the threaded sleeve, a locking ringseated with in the sleeve and having a lug projecting through theopening in the threaded sleeve and into the-recess under the lockingshoulder, a conductor engaging the locking ring and extending throughthe base of the receptacle to engage and clamp the parts to a conductorand a stud contact extending through the base and engaging with a sec-0nd conductor.

9. A panel board receptacle comprislng an insulating shell having a baseand a cen tral opening, a threaded sleeve contact seated in said openingupon the base and provided with an opening through 1ts side for alocking lug, a locking shoulder in the sidewall of the central openingadjacent to the bottom of the threaded sleeve, a

locking ring having a lug at one side pro MAUDE F. SCRIPTURE, Gnonen N.SEARS.

